Want to avoid a costly air conditioning repair or replacement? A new air conditioner is an important home appliance purchase. Even though there are ways to save on purchasing a new AC, it’s still a sizable investment for homeowners. It’s an investment worth maintaining.
Toronto’s top HVAC contractors, High Efficiency Cooling & Heating, stand behind proper AC maintenance and a regular tune-up. Just like your car, your air conditioning unit has a lot of moving parts. It’s a complex piece of machinery and it’s also one the most used appliances in your home – often daily for many months during the year. Without proper maintenance, even regular wear and tear can cause problems. And those problems, if left unattended, can lead to costly repairs.
There are a number of issues that could cause an air conditioner to stop working, but when the AC compressor fails you often have a big problem on your hands. Most compressor issues are caused by an underlying issue that has stressed the system. If you don’t fix the underlying issue and simply just replace the compressor, you risk damaging the new compressor.
Let’s look at what you can do to help prevent a compressor failure.
1. Low refrigerant charge
Over time a refrigerant line could develop a hole or crack. Eventually, this causes the compressor to have to work harder because the level of refrigerant is too low. The more time that passes, the more strain on your system which ultimately leads to compressor failure.
2. Too much refrigerant
Don’t try to add refrigerant yourself. If someone who is not qualified to work on your air conditioner accidentally adds too much refrigerant or worse the wrong type of refrigerant, this can cause complete compressor failure too.
3. Dirty coils
Both indoor and outdoor air contains pollutants, so over time dust, grime and other particles can build up on the condenser coil. When this happens, the air conditioner can’t cool off and instead begins to run constantly trying to cool the space. As time passes, this increases pressure on the system and can cause overheating or complete failure.
4. Problems with suction lines
There are a couple of things that could go wrong with the suction lines. First, if the suction lines are too large or too small, it could shorten the life of the compressor. This is most common when people find a leak in the suction line and have someone who is not a qualified technician make the repair and replace the line. The second most common problem is blocked lines. The suction line can get blocked from time to time. You’ll notice pretty immediately that the AC is not cooling as effectively as it usually does. If you don’t repair the blockage, it will add stress to the system and cause the compressor to fail.
5. Electrical problems
An electrical failure can damage many parts of an air conditioner. An electrical burnout can cause damage throughout the entire system. It sounds awful but there is some good news. A qualified technician will search for any possible problems during an inspection and tune-up. The technician can repair any damaged wiring, fusing or other issues before it destroys the entire system.
In addition to preventing the problems outlined above a regular inspection and tune-up on your A/C can save you money. Customers who have regular tune-ups and maintenance see these annual benefits:
- Increase your air conditioner unit lifespan by 50%
- Save up to 40% on energy costs
- Improve your A/C’s performance
- Increase indoor air quality for a healthy atmosphere
When is the last time you had your air conditioner inspected?
If you can’t remember the last time you had an A/C inspection and tune-up, give High Efficiency a call. A little preventative measure can go along way for your comfort and your wallet.
